Into The Darkness You Shine
by Rah.RaZorBlade
Summary: What is the hunger games was In Australia? The land down under? Peeta is in the hunger games, with the Careers. How do they treat him, like a team member or a prisoner?
1. Chapter 1

What's the first thing you think about when you hear 'Australia'?

Is it the kangaroos?

The beaches?

The typical 'outback' look, no trees, no shops, no civilisation?

The hot Christmas days?

Well, no, for me? It's a place I've called home my whole life. born and raised.

I think back to just a few days ago.

"Peeta! Get out of bed! "

I heard my grouchy mum yell from behind the closed door.

"Yeah, Ma."

The day of the reaping. How I had dreaded that day for the past year.

I rolled out of bed and went to the kitchen for breakfast. That could have been my lastmeal in that house, with my family. I may never see their faces again.

To top it all off, to become a career I had to do something unimaginable. It's disgusting, it's vile. If my mum ever knew i did it... She's be disappointed.

I can't believe how much my life has spiralled downwards.

I'm in the middle of the stupid arena, sitting in the biggest tent, guarded by the Careers. Making sure I don't betray them, I'm a prisoner, not a member.

Cato stares at me. I stare back, getting nervous under his watch.

"I'm going to bed." I stand up.

I am forces to share the two-man tent with Cato. I chose to step outside to look at the artificial stars, even tho they aren't real, it's a picture of what the real one looks like, the Milky Way, the big and little dippers, the southern cross, it's all still the same just... Fake...

"Come back inside, Mate, it's friggan freezing."

Mate. That word gets thrown around so much. Even tho he called me 'Mate' doesn't mean we're friends. In fact the way he said it, was almost threatening.

"I think I'm just going to sleep here."

I grumble.

Cato stomped over to me, grabbing me by the shirt and pretty much throws me inside the tent.

"Party's over girls, get the hell out."

Cato yells.

I lye in the right hand corner of the tent.

Marvel laughs and drags me, by my legs to the centre of the tent.

"What the heck."

"Cato needs to keep a better eye on you, how do we know you won't run in the middle of the night?"

Well you don't know that.

"It's my turn to keep watch, yell out if you need anything, Cato." Marvel gives me a smile and a wink.

I blush. I'm such an idiot.

Cato lays down next to me. I move over a little so were not touching. He moves over a little so he's spooning me.

I sigh. I just can't win, no matter what I do.

"You alright?" He asks. Kissing the top of my head.

I shrug

"I guess."

"What's wrong, Peeta?"

Have you ever experienced that one moment when you feel like shit, then some asshole asks you 'what's wrong?'or 'are you okay?' And you just break down crying? It's that exact moment.

A tear makes its way down my face and I quickly wipe it away. I wish I was back at home, in my bed, helping with the bakery. I'd rather get a thousand beatings from my mum, then to be here right now.

"Peeta?"

I turn my face deeper into my sleeping bag.

Cato tries to roll me over towards him. I shrug my shoulder out of his hands.

"Will you just talk to me? What the fuck did i do?" Cato snapped.

I flitch but don't turn around.

"Just go to sleep, Cato." I sniffled.

"Hey, Babe, please."

I hold back a sob. Making weird noises in the back of my throat.

"Peeta. Stop ignoring me!"

I turn over and look at him. He's glaring at me.

I move one of my arms to cover my eyes. Tears still spilling.

"Tell me what's wrong." He demands.

"I- I'm going to die. I'm not going to make it out of here, I know I'm not. I'm never-"

Cato pulls me into his chest. I take handfuls of his T-shirt.

" I won't let you die. I promise."

He kisses my forehead.

"Now get to sleep."

I can't believe I just lost control and cried like that. Now he knows I'm weak.

**-hey everyone! Up at 4 in the morning feeding the baby and I randomly wrote this- should I continue and turn it into a chapter story? **


	2. Chapter 2

I wake up the next morning to find Marvel asleep next to me. Him and Cato must have changed shifts while I was asleep. I slip out of my sleeping bag, and exit the tent. Cato is at the fire pit, cooking up some sort of meat and heating up some water in the billy. He looks up at me, the rustle of the tent making him aware of my presence.

"G'day, Mate!" He smirks.

I bite my bottom lip and nod. How'd I get messed up in this? I sit by the fire and look at the dancing flames. I eventually look up an see Marvel standing beside me. Him and Cato both giving me a questioning look.

"What?" I asked confused.

Cato sighed.

"I said, I think we should hunt down 'The girl on fire' today."

'Hunt' what disturbing words.

I swallow that lump in my throat and nod.

"Yeah, Peeta can lead the way, track her, you know her more then any of us."

I nod again. I stand up.

"Where ya going?" Cato asks

"Out woop woop?" Marvel smirks.

"I have to.. piss..."

Cato also stands.

"Sure. Marvel, go with him."

Marvel nodded.

"I'm a big boy now, I can go pee by myself, y'know."

Cato shrugged.

"Just to be sure." He smirked.

Me and Marvel walk a few metres away from camp.

"You alright? You seem.. Quiet Angry?"

I shake my head.

"No, I'm a'right."

"You sure? I heard Cato yelling at you last night?"

After I pee I turn towards Marvel.

"Everything's fine and dandy."

When we walk those few metres back to the fire, I notice the girls are both awake now. Glimmer, a happy-cheery morning person. Makes me sick. Who the heck could be THAT happy at 7 in the morning?

"Hey! Guys look at that! Over there!"

I look up to see smoke. It's fairly big, is someone burning the bush down? Was it the gamemakers?

"Grab your weapons!" Yelled Cato.

I stand still for a few seconds before Marvel pushes me towards the weapons.

"Here." He said shoving a spear in my hands. I gulp.

"Common, Guys!" Glimmer yelled, running into the bush. I dawdled after them.

"Oi!" Marvel yelled at me.

"What?" I snapped.

"Keep up, or I'll drag you all the way."

I roll my eyes.

"Yes, mum." I mumbled.

He glares at me. He grabs my wrist and starts jogging to keep up with the others. I stumble over my feet a few times. I try pulling my arm from his grasp. Unsuccessfully.

"Quit it!" He snaps.

We all stop for a second to make sure we're headed in the right direction and to re-discuss our plan. Cato looks at Marvel's hand and glares at us. He walks over to us, I look up at Cato who stands in front of me.

"I need to talk to you."

Marvel lets go of my wrist and Cato puts his hand on my shoulder.

"Go ahead, I just need to talk to our prisoner here." He said to Clove. He pushes me through the bush, the way we just came. He pushes me against a tree and puts his lips to mine.

"You're such a beaut." He whispers in my ear.

"What's up, you're not acting yourself?"

"I'm a'right." I shrug.

He nods.

"I keep thinking back to the other night. It was bloody amazing, wasn't it?"

"I guess." I shrug again.

"You guess? What's wrong, mate? If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even be a career, so you better start appreciating me, because I can kill you right here if you'd like."

"I could have easily slept with Marvel."

"Marvel doesn't call the shots around here, I do."

"What ever." I say, looking away.

Cato grabs my face.

"Don't turn away from me, wanker."

We hear a rustling noise coming from our left. We both look over to see a Kangaroo eating a small patch of grass, a small joey stands, eating the grass and coping its mother's movements.

A small smile makes its way to my lips. A mother, teaching her young one the ways of life. It makes me think of my mother. She never cared, never gave a shit. Only cared about herself and the bakery.

"Helllo!" Cato waves his hand in front of my face.

"You're suddenly interested in Aussie wild life?"

Cato takes the spear from my hands and throws it, hitting the mother 'roo in the chest. Startling the joey, making it hop away in fright.

"Score!" Cato yelled throwing a fist in the air.

"We got supper for tonight."

"Why'd you do that?! Now the joey doesn't have a mum!" I feel tears make their way to my eyes.

"You shittin' me, Peeta? You're going to cry over a friggan Kangaroo?"

I shake my head. I was going to cry, I don't want him to know that tho.

"Peeta, look at me."

I look away further.

"NOW, Peeta!"

"What do you want from me, Cato?! What? I don't have anything, okay!"

His eyes soften. He lifts his hand and stokes my hair.

"I want you, Peeta."

I shake my head and push his hand away.

"No you don't." I clear my throat.

"What are we going to do about that?" I asked, nodding towards the dead kangaroo.


	3. Chapter 3

We sat around a camp fire, one less Career, Glimmer, KIA. I should give Katniss more praise. She's a lot better then what I originally thought. She killed Glimmer, accidentally, but still, that's one less career.

Cato, Marvel and Clove, ate what they could of Skippy. I stared at the dead animal. I couldn't eat it. I sip water from the billy, we are sharing it around to each other, a few mint leaves in hot water, home made tea.  
"Eat, 12. Keep your strength up." Marvel nodded to the cooked kangaroo.  
I shook my head.  
"No thank you. I'm not hungry."  
I felt my tummy rumble, but I'm sure I can pull off not eating for a while.  
"Eat. Now." Cato glares at me.  
I glare back at him.  
"I said, I'm not hungry."  
"You're a terrible liar. Now, before you piss me off, Eat."  
I pause for a few seconds and say, just to piss him off...  
"No."  
Cato stands up, grabs the back of my neck and pushes me into the tent.  
"Stay the hell in here." Cato said, gripping my neck harder as he spoke. He steps back outside.  
I sit down on my sleeping bag.  
A tear trails down my face.  
"Yeah. G'night. I'll cya in the morning." I hear Cato say.

It's so weird when you talk to someone who speaks your language you just sound 'Normal' until you throw someone with a different accent in with a bunch of Australians, we sound bloody bogan. I'm hearing that deep- typical 'outback' accent coming from Cato. It's weird how I've never actually noticed it before.

Cato re-enters the tent. I wipe my tears away.  
"This is ridiculous, Peeta."  
I shake from nervousness. And I bite my lip. Cato kneels in front of me, putting his hand on my cheek. Wiping a stray tear away with his thumb.  
"Don't cry, babe."  
"I-I can't help it. I-" I start sobbing.  
"Stop it." Cato demands.  
I sob harder.  
"I said stop it, Peeta!"  
I look up at him.  
"I want to go home." I shake.  
Cato wraps his arms around me. His left hand on my head and his right hand between my shoulder blades. My head buried in his chest. I slowly slide my arms around his torso.  
"Shh. It's alright, Babe."  
He lays me down on my sleeping bag and climbs on top of me. I try to push him off.  
"Stop it."  
He kisses me forcefully. Rubbing his hands up my chest.  
"We're gonna win this, you and I. And you will live with me back in district 2."  
I gulp.  
"No. I'm not getting out of here, but if I did I want to go home." I say.  
"To a mum who beats you up?" Cato snorted.  
"Well-yeah-"  
"You'd rather go back to a mum who beats you up, then come to live with me?"  
More tears spring to my eyes. Wow I really am a dick, aren't I? Do I hurt EVERYONE I come cross?  
"Peeta. Enough with the waterworks!"

Marvel comes into the tent and Cato rolls off me.  
"Cato- umm, is everything alright." Marvel asks with a hint of worry in his voice.  
I wipe my tears away.  
"What d'you want, Marvel?" Cato asks.  
"Swap shifts?"  
Cato nods and leaves the tent. Marvel lays next to me, taking Cato's spot.  
"Ahh nice and relaxing. Everything okay? I heard him yelling again?"  
I nod. I feel like crying AGAIN! What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I so weak? My dad always taught me to be strong, never to show me weakness and THAT'S all I'm doing. I've gone and done something I promised myself I'd never do!  
"Peeta?"  
"I'm sorry." I rub my eyes.  
Marvel sighs.  
"What's wrong?"  
I bite my lip. Should I burden Marvel with all my problems?  
"Well.." I started.  
"Cato wants...both me and him to win... And he wants me to live with him... In district 2."  
Marvel looked at me.  
"What's wrong with that?"  
"I don't want to. I just want to go home."  
"You'd rather go back to district 12, then to district 2?"  
I nod.  
"Why?"  
I shrug.  
"Because, it's home."


End file.
